Help with Car Rust

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › Help with Car Rust

nzpaul

72 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 4

#257247 22-Sep-2019 15:47

I park my car outside and I noticed a small spot of rust on the roof. There is area about 7mm in width where the paint is chipped and spotted with rust.

I am not sure what to do about it. I thought of getting a paint pen from SuperCheapAuto, but the store assistant was not helpful and would not go out and take a look (neither for advice, nor to tell me which paint pen would be the closest match). I am a car n00b so not sure what to do, go buy a full kit of color matched paint, primer and clear coat and sandpaper ... or take to a panel beater. Or is there a cheaper option for such a small bit of rust?

---

Voyager UFB. 100/20mb connection.

Linux

12173 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 8469

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2322716 22-Sep-2019 15:57

Get the paint code for your car then buy the paint pen that matches!

Super cheap Auto staff are not paint experts if you want professional help visit a panel beater / car painter

nzpaul

72 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 4

#2322740 22-Sep-2019 16:48

Linux: Get the paint code for your car then buy the paint pen that matches!

Super cheap Auto staff are not paint experts if you want professional help visit a panel beater / car painter

The paint pens available are quite limited. It is extremely unlikely there is an exact match.

---

Voyager UFB. 100/20mb connection.

ratsun81

516 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 183

#2322755 22-Sep-2019 17:02

How much is the car worth to you?

Once a car starts rusting, especially in the roof or in a structural part you are on the downhill slope of this car's life (WOF failures)

Rust needs to be removed, painting over it will cover it up and possibly slow it getting worse but at the end of the day it either needs to be rust treated or cut out.

frankv

5705 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 3666

Lifetime subscriber

#2322759 22-Sep-2019 17:05

nzpaul:

I park my car outside and I noticed a small spot of rust on the roof. There is area about 7mm in width where the paint is chipped and spotted with rust.

I am not sure what to do about it.

Depends a lot on the car's age and value, and what your aim is.

You're talking hundreds to thousands to get a panelbeater to respray. Underneath the paint around the chip will also be rusting. Painting over the rust (including a paint pen) will not stop the rust. Eventually it will show through again. If there's one spot that's chipped and rusting, there will probably be several/many more.

If your aim is to just to improve the cosmetics, then a paint pen that's a near match will do... a spot on the roof that you've only just noticed will be inconspicuous. If the car is special and you want to save it, then it's possibly worth sanding out all the rust and repainting. Even then, I'd wait until there's lots of spots and do them all at once.

Or you could just live with it. A bit of surface rust in the roof isn't going to compromise safety.

FineWine

3111 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2440

Trusted

Nurse (R)

Lifetime subscriber

#2322767 22-Sep-2019 17:14

If the car is not worth much to you then just do what all spouses & Significant Others down through the ages have done to hard paint chips/scratches on their partners cars, get a bottle of nail varnish that matches the colour, dab it on then add a coat of clear nail varnish.

Whilst the difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a bit longer. However, miracles you will have to wait for.